7TH ARRONDISSEMENT OF PARIS
While Paris is definitely a walkable city, it’s quite large, and sometimes the museums or monuments you want to visit are very far from each other. If you’d like to stay in one place, the 7th arrondissement has a lot to offer! This neighborhood is located on the left bank of the Seine and is home to France’s most world-renowned icon – La Tour Eiffel. However, there are other wonderful sights in this neighborhood to enjoy. Some of my go-to restaurants, shops, and museums of the 7th arrondissement are listed below!
La Grande Épicerie (Rive Gauche)
Technically La Grande Épicerie has two locations – one on the left bank of the Seine (La Grande Épicerie Rive Gauche) and one on the right bank (La Grande Épicerie Rive Droite), but I love the location in the 7th! This is (at least for me) the chicest supermarket I’ve ever been to. Not only is the scale of the grocer impressive, but it also feels like such an elevated shopping experience. There is a tea section, a cheese section, a world food section, and the list goes on. You can also snag my favorite chocolate bars from Maison Bonnat in the Sweet Delicatessen section!
Le P’tit Troquet
Le P’tit Troquet is a charming French restaurant in the 7th with delicious dishes and friendly staff. What stuck out to me was that they note out all of the allergens on their website menu (a rarity in Paris, I find)! As a dairy-free eater not by choice, I especially appreciate this gesture.
Jacques Genin
Jacques Genin caramels are incredibly smooth and creamy, and the flavors are divine: coffee, pistachio, almond, ginger, and more. He also makes chocolates and pâtes de fruits. Note that these fruit jellies are dairy free. Go for the pâtes de fruits and caramels!
Maison Boissier
Maison Boissier is home to confectionary treats! Little pâtes de fruits, marshmallows, gummies, and more. I particularly like Maison Boissier because all of their treats come in darling decorative boxes. If you would like to bring home a gift for someone, these sugary dainty containers are sure to delight!
Debauve & Gallais
Debauve & Gallais is a chocolate manufacturer that has been around since 1800, first founded by Sulpice Debauve, with his nephew Antoine Gallais coming into the fold in 1823. Feel like royalty as you eat their velvety chocolates, as this manufacturer was the official chocolatier of Louis XVIII, Charles X, and Louis Philippe. Get the almond crunches, a favorite of Emperor Napoleon I!
Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche
Founded by a husband-and-wife team Aristide and Marguerite Boucicaut in the 1800s, Le Bon Marché is the oldest department store in Paris. While their selections of shoes, clothing, and homeware are fabulous, the layout of the store is also noteworthy! The escalators of the store are visually appealing, often adorned with installations or decorations by different artists.
Deyrolle
Deyrolle is quite a curious place. When I first visited, I found myself wondering: is this a store or a museum? Is this institution dedicated to taxidermy? Entomology? Gardening?? What I realized is that it was a little bit of everything! However, what stands out the most is the taxidermy piece of Deyrolle (probably because there is a giraffe towering over your shoulder and a threatening lion just within reach as you walk through the collection). The big difference between Deyrolle and another museum, is that the items on display are actually for sale. Now I am not sure if you have $30K to shell out on a polar bear, but perhaps a butterfly for $100 is in your wheelhouse! (Note that Deyrolle is committed to sustainable and responsible taxidermic practices, and that the majority of the animals in the collection died of natural causes and were provided by zoos and parks.) I myself did not purchase anything, but walking through the collection was a unique experience!
Les Invalides (Musée de l’Armée)
You might have passed the Musée de l’Armée without even realizing it, as the building complex that it is housed in – Hôtel des Invalides – is a noticeable sight in Paris, recognized by its iconic gilded Dome. This compound is home to all things military, including the aforementioned museum, but also the tomb of one of the most famous military commanders in the world – Napoleon Bonaparte. You will get to see arms and armor from the 13th to 17th centuries, revisit great battles from the 17th to 19th centuries, and learn about the two world wars. (This is a war museum through and through, so if that is not something that interests you, I would skip this one!)
Musée Rodin
Musée Rodin is mainly dedicated to the works of Auguste Rodin, a gifted sculptor who actually donated his collection of sculptures to the French Senate so that the Hotel Biron (his workshop) could be turned into a museum (what we now know as Musée Rodin!) I am absolutely enthralled by Rodin’s work, and highly recommend this museum for the sculptures, but also for the gorgeous rose garden and the building itself that primarily houses his work.
Musée Maillol
Aristide Maillol was a sculpture, a photographer, a painter, and a tapestry designer amongst other things. During his career, he met Dina Vierny, who became his model and collaborator. She bought and lived in an apartment at Rue de Grenelle, and over a period of 30 years, bought the entire building and created this museum to honor him. Besides the rooms that are dedicated to the work of Maillol and the permanent collections, there is space for temporary exhibitions as well, such as the exhibit I saw on Elliot Erwitt! Check the museum’s website to see if the current exhibitions suit you, as they highlight different mediums from the 20th and 21st centuries.
Musée d’Orsay
A museum that I do not believe is overhyped (but unfortunately is very crowded) is Musée d’Orsay. I fully admit that I might be a tad biased, as the museum boasts an impressive collection of impressionist art, which is my favorite art movement. There are a lot of great works in this former railway station, so if you would like to make sure you hit the highlights, I recommend signing up for a guided tour of the masterpieces on display. Notable artists include Toulouse-Lautrec, Monet, Manet, Degas, and Cézanne. Lastly, I suggest visiting Musée d’Orsay between Wednesday and Friday, as the museum is closed on Mondays, it is too crowded on the weekends, and there is a surge of people on Tuesdays because the Louvre is closed on that day.
Enjoy exploring the 7th arrondissement of Paris!
